Time Line - William West (B. 1752)

TIME LINE FOR WILLIAM WEST (B. 1752)
[As compiled by Ron Roy... any additions, corrections or questions are welcome!  "WW = William West (b. 1752)]

1752 – William West (WW) born [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1772 – SEP 23 – William West private in Captain Jeduthan Harper’s Company of the Chatham County militia. Listed in that Company with him are Thomas West Sr, Thomas West Jr, Ignatius West, and (in another company) Richard West.  At this time William West is a minor 20 years of age (indicating a likelihood that he was still living with or near his parents and/or close relatives) [Transcription of the Records of Chatham Co Court of Pleas line http://www.ncgenweb.us/chatham/militia.htm [2] ]
1774 – AUG – WW appears in Chatham court Minutes as plaintiff agst David Davis [Laird and Jackson 13, Bens NC Commentary]
1779 – AUG 15 - WW Chain Carrier with Ignatius West Jr for survey of grant of 400 ac to Ignatius West(the later is Ignatius West Jr also as per the deed of disposition in 1784)
1779 – AUG 30 - WW Chain Carrier with Ignatius West Jr for survey of grant to Ignatius West (the later is also Jr also as per the deed of disposition in 1784)
1781 – APR – WW joins Rev Forces while living in Chatham Co [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1783 – OCT – 1 – WW Received money in Hillsborough Dist for
services in Rev War [NC Rev. War Voucher No. 5733, Bens NC Commentary]
1784 – NOV – WW appears in Chatham Co court minutes road orders with Thomas and Ignatius West [Court Minutes Nov. 1781-May 1785  89, Bens NC Commentary]
1784 – DEC –13 – WW purchases of 150ac of land in Chatham Co on the S. side of Haw River, joining Elnathan Davis from Ignatius West Jr & wife Milley [Chatham Co Deed Bk C 355-356, Bens Commentary3.rtf]
1785 – FEB – 14 – WW witnessed deed from Ignatius West Jr & wife Milley To Ignatius West Sr (b. 1750) for 125 acres on the N. side of Dry Creek, joining Haw River. [Chatham Co Deed Bk C 355-356, Bens Commentary3.rtf]
1790 – WW Listed on Census of Chatham Co, NC 3 free white males under 16 years of age, 3 free white females, and 5 slaves. (This is the only listing for a William West in Chatham Co, NC) [1790 Census 86]
1792 – NOV – WW impaneled on a grand jury [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1790-1794, Bens NC Commentary]
1794 – NOV – WW impaneled on a jury [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1794-1800, Bens NC Commentary]
1795 – MAY – WW appears in Chatham Co court minutes road orders with Thomas West (Jr? or Sr?) and Ignatius West Sr (b. 1750) Richard West, Meachams, Fikes[Chatham Co Court Minutes  1794-1800, Bens NC Commentary]
1796 – NOV – WW appointed overseer of a road [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1794-1800 241, Bens NC Commentary]
1800 – WW Listed on Census of Chatham Co [1800 Census]
1807 – WW Sr.(first record showing more than one WW) Listed as
insolvent Tax for five polls [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1805-1811, Bens NC Commentary]
1807 – THRU 1817 - WW listed on the Logan Co Tax Lists [Logan Co Tax Lists, Bens NC Commentary]
1808 – NOV 28 - WW purchased 533 acres in Logan Co from John Neely [Logan Co KY Deed Book]
1808 – NOV 28 - WW purchased 27 acres in Logan Co from John Neely [Logan Co KY Deed Book]
1808 – FEB – WW (Sr or Jr not indicated & May not be Same) appointed an undetermined position in Capt. Edward Jones’ District for the year ensuing [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1805-1811 193, Bens NC Commentary]
1808 – John West appointed Overseer instead of WW Sr. [Chatham Co Court Minutes 1805-1811 195, Bens NC Commentary]
1810 – MAY 30 - WW has survey for 300 acres on N fk Red River [The Kentucky Land Grants Vol 1]
1810 – JUNE 11 - WW has survey for 100 acres on Red River [The Kentucky Land Grants Vol 1]
1811 – WW gives son Matthew West his power of attorney in Chatham NC [Chatham Co Deed Bk R p57, Bens NC Commentary]
1812 – Mar 16 – Lucy Fike paid to settle an account of a note given her by James West and William West - from the settlement of estate of James West. [ Logan Co, KY Will book A, p.223]
1816 – WW purchases land in Robertson Co, [Robertson Co Deed Bk M 112-114]
1823 – WW sold same land above in Robertson Co, [Robertson Co Deed Bk R 119]
1832 – AUG –16 – WW Applies for Rev War Pension, lives in,
Robertson Co, TN. This WW is 80 years old indicating that he is WW (b. 1752) [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1833 – SEP – 20 – WW Applies for Rev War Pension, lives w/Oliver Edwards, Robertson Co, TN (Strong indication that Oliver Edwards was WW son-in-law) [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1839 – OCT – WW moved from Robertson Co, TN To Simpson Co KY [WW Rev War Pension App Files]
1840 –WW Listed on the 1840 Census of Simpson Co, KY as Rev War Pensioner age 87 residing w/James Milliken

David West (1758 – after 1826) Part 3: 1818 – after 1826

Compiled by Joy Ikelman, June 2016. All disclaimers apply.

David West (1758 – after 1826)
Part 3: 1818 – after 1826

Summary:  David West is the ancestor of one of our West DNA Family Group #5 participants. This article addresses David West’s life between the years of 1818 to 1826, when he was last mentioned in Quaker records. He probably died before the 1830 Census. It is likely that Susannah West preceded him in death. David and Susannah’s sons were Benjamin, Abraham, Jacob, and Levi.

Note: Quaker customs, terminology, and record-keeping are unique. Please refer to Understanding Quaker Records on this blog site for more information.

Land in Batavia Township, Genesee County, NY

By the end of 1817, Wests from this family had moved from Prince Edward County, Upper Canada (Ontario), to Genesee County, in western New York. [1] This relocation is consistent with the Society of Friends’ “Western Movement.” [2]

On 06 Jul 1818, David West and son Benjamin acquired land from the Holland Land Company in Batavia, New York. They co-signed on lots 10, 12, and 14 in Township 13, Range 2, Section 7. [3] On 12 May 1820, Abraham selected a lot nearby—lot 3, Township 13, Range 2, Section 3. [4] These lots were generally 120 to 320 acres. [5] A map from 1814 shows that the lots were in the northern part of Batavia Township—later called Elba. [6] If a settler paid for the land upfront, he would receive the title. Most settlers (including the Wests) made a down payment, and then signed “Articles of Agreement” (contracts) that specified a period of time in which payment would be made. [7]

U.S. Census of 1820, Elba, Genesee County, New York

In the 1820 Federal Census, all four brothers—Benjamin, Abraham, Jacob, and Levi—were listed with their father in Elba. [8] The position of their names on the list directly correlates with the location of the lots. Abraham’s name is set apart from the others, just as his lot was set apart.

David West’s record lists one male 45 and over (David, 62), one female 45 and over (Susannah, 65), and a male aged 16 to 25. This could possibly be another son, but there is no indication (from data) for this. It is more likely that David had someone helping him to maintain his farm, or a boarder.

The census information for the four brothers matches what we know about their families in 1820. Abraham’s record shows no female in his age group. This validates that his first wife, Mary, died by 1820. He would marry again in 1822. [9] It also appears that Abraham has a young married couple with a child living with him, plus his two young children.

Portion of the 1820 Federal Census of Elba, Genesee County,

New York, showing David West and his four sons.

David West is Disowned from Hartland Monthly Meeting
On 18 May 1826, David West was disowned from Hartland Monthly Meeting. [10] This is the last Quaker minute that I could find for him. In 1819, David and Susannah had become members of this Meeting. [11] By 1826, David was probably a widower. In the same month of 1826, Abraham and his family had moved to Logan (Adrian Township), Michigan Territory. [12] Benjamin and Levi and their families were living in Norwich, Oxford County, Upper Canada. [13] I could not find the location of Jacob.

It is possible that David West expressed viewpoints that were not in line with his Meeting’s doctrines. The original minute book would describe the circumstances of the disownment. I only had access to the index from the Friends Historical Library (Swarthmore College). In general, a disowned Friend would not be kicked out of the Meeting forever. A properly written apology and consideration by committee could cancel the action. [14]

In the mid-1820s, the Society of Friends was in turmoil over changing beliefs. These changes began at least a decade before, as soon as the Society of Friends’ Western Movement began. The Friends were living in a new environment that required cooperation with non-Quakers. Quakers could no longer maintain the same level of separation from the world as before. [15] In 1828, the Society of Friends split into two groups—Orthodox and Hicksite.

Estimating a Date of Death for David West
It is likely that David West died before 1830. David West did not appear on the 1830 Federal Census. Tombstones for Susannah and David have not been located. During this era it was unusual for a Friend to be remembered with a tombstone. [16] Also, Quaker minutes generally did not mention the death of members.

The data from the Elba land records may give us an estimated date. The Holland Land Company retained titles on the land that was “purchased” until full payment was made. [17] The Company could withdraw a settler’s land at any time and resell it to someone else. This was called a “reversion.” [18] Reversions usually occurred when there was no activity on an account—generally meaning that the settler had left the area.

In about 1827, Abraham West’s land reverted back to the Holland Land Company. [19] This is probably because he left for Adrian, Michigan in 1826. In 1830, Lots 10, 12, and 14—the lots that were co-purchased by David West and Benjamin—reverted back to the Company. [20] Benjamin West’s name is recorded in the reversion list. David West’s name was not recorded.

At the time that Benjamin’s land reverted, he and Levi had been living in Norwich (Upper Canada) for eight years. It is my theory that David West lived on the Elba land until his death. Benjamin allowed reversion to occur in 1830 as he had no more reason to make payments on the land.

The Rest of the Story
As I worked on this project about David West, I discovered a lot of information about his sons Benjamin, Abraham, Jacob, and Levi. Much of it is online, for free. If you are researching this West branch, check local, State, and Federal records. Check the Canada Archives. Examine Quaker minutes in the United States and Canada. [21]

During the 1840s, the four brothers lived in Michigan—another stopping place of the Society of Friends’ Western Movement. In the 1840 Federal Census, Abraham, Jacob, Levi were counted in Lenawee County, Michigan. [22] Benjamin returned to the United States from Canada in 1845. [23] The 1845 Michigan Census lists Benjamin, Abraham, and Jacob in Lenawee County. [24] Abraham and Jacob lived in Adrian, and Benjamin lived in Raisin. Levi was not listed in the Michigan Census, but he lived in Raisin. [25] All the brothers were together once more, at least for a little while.

References and Additional Notes
West Family DNA group results are at http://web.utk.edu/~corn/westdna/west5.htm.

1. Please refer to Part 2 of this series on David West. It is likely that Jacob West moved from Greene County, NY, to Genesee County, NY.
2. Arthur Garratt Dorland, 1927: A History of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Canada, The MacMillan Company of Canada Limited, Toronto. “Chapter 3: The American Background of the Quaker Migration to Canada,” p. 42-62.
3. Karen E. Livsey, 1991: Western New York Land Transactions, 1804-1824, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, p. 194.  At ancestry.com; accessed Mar 2016. The type of transaction is listed as “O.” This means David and Benjamin were the original owners of this particular property.
4. Livsey, 1991, p. 246. The transaction is listed as “W.” This means that Abraham West was probably assuming a contract from a previous owner.
5. Robert Silsby, 1961: “The Holland Land Company in Western New York,” Adventures in Western New York History, Volume VIII, The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, Buffalo, New York, p. 3.
6. Map of Genesee with Townships in Counties and Inhabitants, 1814. Holland Land Company Maps, Archives of the Holland Land Company, 1789-1869. State University of New York, Fredonia, NY. At nyheritage.nnyln.net; accessed Mar 2016.
7. Livsey, 1991, p. viii.
8. Census of 1820, Elba, Genesee County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
9. Hartland Monthly Meeting of Friends: Men’s Minutes 1821-1833, H393, Volume 3.3, p. 18. Swarthmore College, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore, PA. Abraham West of Elba, son of David and Susannah; Anna French, daughter of Elijah and Tabby French, married 20 of 12 m 1822.
10. Hartland Monthly Meeting of Friends (Orthodox), Men’s Minutes 1821-1833, H393, Volume 1.1, p. 129.
11. Farmington Monthly Meeting of Friends (Orthodox), 1803-1997: Men’s and Joint Meetings, F335, Volume 1.3, 1816-1821, p. 94 and 109. Swarthmore College, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore, PA. Susannah and David are mentioned separately in two minutes. Hartland Monthly Meeting was created from a portion of Farmington Monthly Meeting.
12. W.A. Whitney, 1880: Historic and Biographical Record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume 1, W. Stearns & Co., Adrian, MI, p. 102. Abraham (“Abram”) West was one of the first settlers of Adrian, Lenawee County, Michigan.
13. This is indicated by Benjamin and Levi’s membership transfers to Norwich Monthly Meeting, and various excerpts from the minutes of that Meeting.
14. J. William Frost, 1973: The Quaker Family in Colonial America: A Portrait of the Society of Friends, St. Martin’s Press, NY, p. 55. “The excommunicated could still regard himself as a Quaker. . . If the evildoer repented, he had to make formal acknowledgment, either orally or, more often, in writing, before the Monthly Meeting.”
15. Please refer to Part 2 to read about the changes that were occurring during David West’s years in Canada.
16. Frost, p. 43.  Up to the early 1800s, “Friends permitted no marker of any kind on the grave, but since having a tombstone was not a disownable offense, some appeared.”
17. Silsby, p. 6.
18. Livsey, 1991, p. xiv.
19. Karen E. Livsey, 1996: Western New York Land Transactions, 1825-1835, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, p. 73. At ancestry.com; accessed Mar 2016.
20. Livsey, 1996, p. 283.
21. The West sons are mentioned in various Monthly Meeting minutes. Here are some of the Monthly Meetings you should check: Oblong (NY); Nine Partners (NY); any other Meetings in Dutchess County (NY); Farmington (NY); Hartland (NY); Adolphustown (ONT); West Lake (ONT); Norwich (ONT); Adrian (MI); Raisin (MI); and, Red Cedar (IA).
22. Census of 1840, Lenawee County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
23. Norwich Monthly Meeting Minutes, found in Canadian Yearly Meeting Archives, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, on ancestry.com. Accessed Apr 2016. The minute is on page 38 and 39 of the file called Cemetery Records, 1847-1930, which is actually a compilation of various documents. Benjamin West had been member of Norwich Monthly Meeting for more than 30 years. This is a transcript of his certificate of transfer:

      To the Raisin Monthly Meeting of Friends, Michigan.
Dear Friends. Benjamin West having removed and settled within the compass of your Meeting       requests our certificate: this is to certify that he is a member of our religious Society and settled his temporal concerns to satisfaction as far as appears, as such we recommend him to your Christian care and remain your Friends.

Signed in and on behalf of Norwich Monthly Meeting of Friends (Canada) held 9th of 4th Mo. 1845.

Signed John Palmer, Frederick Stover, correspondent. Clerk for the day.

24. Michigan State Census Records, 1827-1874. 1845 Census of Michigan, Lenawee County. Originals are archived at the University of Michigan. Images are available at Seeking Michigan, seekingmichigan.org. Accessed Mar 2016.
25. “Business Notes, 1799-1840s.” Part of the collection of E.H. Marion Crock of Bloomfield, Ontario. Archived at Pickering College, Newmarket, Ontario. Information used with permission of Canadian Quaker Archives and Randy Saylor, project coordinator. Image 1-6: 17, 18 transcribed by Doug Smith. In a letter dated 3 Mar 1847, Mary Jennings of Raisin, MI, wrote to Stephen Bowerman: “Levi & Nancy live within one quarter of a mile of us. They and their family are all pretty well.” Mary (Bowerman White) Jennings was the mother-in-law of Levi West.

Many thanks to Lorelle VanFossen for her genealogical work. VanFossen is a descendant of Levi West. To see her compilation of the descendants of David West, go to: http://family.cameraontheroad.com/family-names/david-west-descendants/

David West (1758 – after 1826) Part 2: 1810 – 1817

Compiled by Joy Ikelman, May 2016. All disclaimers apply.

David West (1758 – after 1826)

[Part 2: 1810 – 1817]

Summary:  David West is the ancestor of one of our West DNA Family Group #5 participants. This article examines the years he lived in Prince Edward County, Upper Canada. Three questions will be answered:

• How did David West’s land lease document reflect changes in Quaker thinking?
• Was David West a Loyalist?
• What else do we know about David West during the years 1810-1817?

     Note: Quaker customs, terminology, and record-keeping are unique. Please refer to UnderstandingQuaker Records on this blog site for more information.

 

Land Lease Petition, Ameliasburgh Township, Upper Canada

In March 2016, I found a remarkable document in the Canada Archives. It was David West’s land lease petition of 1811. In the family stories that had been recorded, his sons Benjamin, Abraham, and Levi lived in Canada. However, there was no mention of David West living there. This document was a total surprise!

To his Excellency Francis Gore, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Upper Canada

               In Council:

   The Petition of David West of the Township of Ameliasburg, Yeoman.

               Humbly showeth That your Petitioner is desirous to obtain a Lease of the Reserved Lot Number thirtythree on the third Concession Township of Ameliasburg Lake Side in the Midland District and begs leave to offer Benjaman [sic] West of the Township of Ameliasburg, Yeoman, as a Surety to be joined in a Bond with your Petitioner to secure the required payments of the rents According to the terms of the Lease, that your Petitioner is prepared to pay In Advance of Rent Immediately after the Order in Council the fees for perfecting the Lease.

               Wherefore your Petitioner Prays that your Excellency may be pleased to grant him said Lease as Your Petitioner is ready to Settle Immediately upon the same on the Terms mentioned In the Notice Issued from the Council office hearing at the fourth of April 1811. Your Petitioner being prepared to comply with the Terms of the same.

               And your Petitioner as in

               Duty bound will ever pray

               David West [signed]

               Ameliasburg, July 4^th 1811

 

General Analysis of the Document 

There are five pages in the document: the petition, oath of allegiance, testimony of neighbors, payment, and stages of approval. The petition went through several layers of bureaucracy, and was finally approved on 28 Dec 1811. [1] David West assigned surety to his son, Benjamin.  

The Bay of Quinte settlements. The location of the land was in Ameliasburgh (or Ameliasburg) Township, Prince Edward County (not Prince Edward Island), Upper Canada. Prince Edward County is surrounded by Lake Ontario to the west, and the Bay of Quinte on the north and east. David West’s land was probably inland of these large bodies of water. Upper Canada is now Ontario.

Payment for the lease. David West paid “One Pound, twelve shillings and six pence of the fees in the Clergy Reserves, Lot no. 33.” The Clergy Reserves were parcels of land whose rent benefitted the Church of England. These plots, usually 200 acres, were leased for seven years and then renegotiated at a higher price. [2] The Wests left the area just before these seven years were complete. The crops grown on the land, including timber, could create profits for the lessee. Lot 33 was noted as “Timber not known.” Settlers were eager to rent these lands because they were unused parcels—some in very good locations and with timber ready to harvest.

Residency before leasing. The 1811 petition states that David and Benjamin West were “of Ameliasburg,” not “of New York.” This indicates that they were residents in Ameliasburgh before the land lease request. My theory is that they arrived shortly before August 1810, as they did not appear in the U.S. census of 1810. (The census began in August.) The (likely) birth of Benjamin and Polly’s daughter in Canada in 1810 also points to this year. [3]

Recommendation of the neighbors. The neighbors described David West as “a man worthy of the Notes of any gentleman,” and “a man we would wish to settell in our Neighborhood . . .” Eleven people signed this document. They verified that West had worked on the land prior to his petition, and even paid forty dollars to another man to help him. [4]

The importance of yeomen. David and Benjamin West stated that they were yeoman. In that era, a “yeoman” was usually defined as a property owner of either a small or large farm. To fellow Friends, they were “landed Quakers.” [5] In my opinion, this might indicate that the men owned land in Dutchess County or Greene County, New York, before they moved to Canada. [6] A yeoman’s presence would add value to the neighborhood. For instance, David West may have brought livestock, seed, tools, and supplies. These could potentially benefit others. [7] He may have also come with personal experience in land management that was useful to younger, landless settlers—both Quaker and non-Quaker. [8]

This is a first level analysis of the land lease petition. To understand implications relating to the Society of Friends, I looked deeper.

Analysis of the Document from a Quaker Perspective

Clergy Reserve lands were off limits to Quakers. Quaker discipline stated that Friends were not allowed to lease Clergy Reserve lands. The resolution by the Canada Half Year Meeting stated: “that it is inconsistent with our religious principles for any member of our religious Society to lease lands that are set apart or reserved by Government for the sole use and maintenance of a Protestant Clergy.” [9] This referred to the Church of England.

David West ignored the ruling. The rule was in place in 1810, but it seems that David West chose to ignore it. Other Quakers ignored it, too. [10] This was an act of defiance from the settlers in Upper Canada to the controlling Monthly Meetings in distant New York and Pennsylvania. [11]

Quakers and non-Quakers worked together, contrary to the rule of separateness. The Clergy Reserve lands were often located in a checkerboard pattern. These vacant lands would generally have unimproved roads, and this would hinder the distribution of goods to markets. [12] In a cooperative effort, Quakers and non-Quakers would buy or lease continuous swaths of land. This was called land banking. This ensured better infrastructure such as road improvement, fencing, and area-specific regulations determined by the settlers, themselves. [13]

Quakers and non-Quakers, together, were reforming policy at a local level. Alliance with non-Quakers would be crucial in reforming the outdated policies of the colonial administration. [14] Participation in government was not approved by Quaker discipline. Cooperation with non-Quakers in matters of community was a new idea, and frowned on by the traditional Society of Friends. This was another step challenging the Quaker tradition of “separateness.”

Pledging allegiance to King George was contrary to Quaker discipline. The provincial government encouraged settlement by Friends because they were “hardworking and diligently fulfilled their settlement duties.” [15] However, in order to initiate the land lease petition request, the applicant had to pledge allegiance to the King. This was the law. The provincial government knew that Quaker discipline forbade taking oaths of any kind. So, the government allowed “affirmations.” Quaker discipline objected to affirmations of allegiance, too.

David West risked disciplinary action. David West was part of a new era of Friends who decided to risk disciplinary action to ensure his family’s future. Twenty years later, Benjamin West would affirm of allegiance while living in Norwich, Oxford County, Ontario. [16] By then, this kind of affirmation was more accepted by the Society of Friends. Here is a record of David West’s affirmation of allegiance of 1811 that I transcribed from the Clerk’s handwriting:

I do certify that David West being a Quaker has this day taken and Subscribed the Solemn affirmation and declaration of Allegiance to his Majesty King George as required by Law before me. Ameliasburg, July 4^th 1811, James Young [Town Clerk]

 

Was David West a Loyalist?

Since he affirmed allegiance to the King in 1811, does this mean David West was a Loyalist? Let’s rewind back to the Revolutionary War.

The Wests during the Revolutionary War. The term “Loyalist” is usually associated with the Revolutionary War. In July of 1777, three things happened in this West family. (1) David’s brother, Benajah West, served in the New York Militia. [17] (2) Brother Elisha West took an oath of allegiance to New York. [18] (3) David’s father, Elijah West, was hosting Vermont state delegates at his Inn in Windsor to draft Vermont’s first Constitution. [19]

David West married into a traditional Quaker family. David West married Susannah Hoag between 1779 and 1782. [20] Susannah Hoag’s family had been Quakers for four generations. West probably was a convinced (converted) Friend before his marriage or shortly after he married. As a Quaker, he would have abided by the Peace Testimony.

The Peace Testimony. Quaker discipline forbade participation in war. This is called the “Peace Testimony.” [21] Quakers were not to aid either side with money, men, or supplies. If they did, they were disowned from the Society of Friends. [22] There is a misconception that any Quakers who came to Canada were Loyalists. During the Revolutionary War, Quakers were not officially Loyalists. And, they were not officially Patriots. A Friend might favor one side over the other, but would have to abandon Quaker beliefs in order to act on his/her political beliefs.

Persecution from Both Sides. If was difficult to remain neutral during the Revolutionary War. There were incidents in which Patriots and Loyalists plundered Quaker farms—destroyed structures, burned fields, and took the livestock. Both sides imprisoned Friends. Both sides demanded payment for non-participation in war. Both sides believed that Quakers were spies and traitors. [23]

After the War. Some Loyalists (non-Quakers) moved to Canada right after the Revolutionary War. The settlements bordering the Bay of Quinte were settled beginning in 1784. [24] Only a few Quakers made the move at that time. Those that did were clustered in settlements, together. The religion was still based around its separateness from the secular world.

The Quaker Western Movement. Most Quaker immigration to Canada began in the early 1800s, twenty years after the Revolutionary War. This was not a Loyalist movement to Canada. It was essentially Quaker expansionism. This was called the “Western Movement.” [25] New Quaker communities were created in Canada, western New York, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. David West and his family came to Canada in 1810, almost thirty years after the War.

David West was not a Loyalist.  He did not move to Canada to escape the United States after the Revolutionary War. He was looking at the options for securing land at a good price. He chose Upper Canada first. The law said he had to affirm allegiance to the King just to start the petition process. After seven years he probably wanted to avoid the rent increase. The family moved to western New York and eventually to Michigan.

 

A Few More Records about the David West Family

During the Quaker migrations to new territories and states, groups of Quaker families would travel together, and sometimes settle together. The West Family may have traveled with other migrants from the Nine Partners Monthly Meeting (Dutchess County, NY). David West was 52 years old; Susannah was 55 years old. Benjamin was 28, and wife Polly was 21. Abraham was 23 and unmarried, and Levi was 14. If there were unmarried sisters, they might have been about 25 and 17 years old. Jacob (age 21) and his wife Lana stayed in Greene County, New York.

I could find no further records on David West until 1818—when he bought land in Genesee County, New York. [26] It is possible that he moved back to New York before then, and left the leased land in Benjamin’s care. There are records for Benjamin, Abraham, and Levi. Here are a few things that are I found.

• Benjamin West was a member of Adophustown Monthly Meeting.  As far as I could tell, Benjamin was the only West who was active in a Monthly Meeting during this time period. In Ameliasburgh, Friends held Meetings in homes. [27] Anyone could come to the Meeting—you did not have to be a Friend. However, there were advantages of having a certificate of membership from the closest Monthly Meeting. Being a Quaker was much like having an insurance policy—it guaranteed that the community would take care of your family in matters of health, education, and finances. [28] In Dec 1812, Benjamin applied for membership in Adolphustown Monthly Meeting. He was approved in Feb 1813. [29] When it was time to move back to New York in 1817, Benjamin requested a transfer from the Meeting. [30]

• Levi West served in the War of 1812. Levi West served in the militia during the War of 1812 (which lasted from 1812 to 1815). He was 17 years old during his service. As a son of a Quaker, the directive to remain neutral in war time was paramount. It is possible that Levi made his own decision. The age of commitment (or official adulthood) with the Friends was 21. [31]

In October of 1812, an order from the Provincial Parliament required all inhabitants of 16 and older to take an oath of allegiance. [32] I could not find a roll of these oaths, but Levi was probably on it. Also, in Prince Edward County the government fined Quakers “20 shillings a year in peace time for exemption, £5 sterling in war.” [33]

 

Levi West’s service was in two parts. In July 1813, Levi served in the Prince Edward (County) Militia under Lieutenant Daniel Dorland. He was a Private. His unit brought Government batteaux from the head of the Bay of Quinte to the fort at Kingston, Ontario. [34] Batteaux were flat-bottom boats used to carry supplies—and sometimes soldiers—down the difficult waterways to forts. [35]  

 

In October 1813, Levi served under Sergeant James Pierson, in Captain James Young’s Company, transporting Government batteaux from Kingston to York, Ontario. [36] Sergeant Pierson, Captain Young, and two other men in his unit were neighbors who had signed the land lease petition for David West in 1811. [37]

• The West brothers married the White sisters. In 1815, Abraham married Mary White. Mary was the daughter of Nathaniel White and Mary Bowerman, who lived in Hallowell, Prince Edward County. The Whites had migrated from Dutchess County in about 1790. [38] Abraham and Mary’s first child, Elizabeth, was born in Hallowell in February 1816. [39] They moved back to New York, where their second child, Mary Ann was born in December 1817. [40] It is likely that Mary West (his wife) died shortly thereafter. Abraham remarried in 1822. [41] Sometime in 1817, Levi married Nancy White, the sister of Mary. [42] Their first child (Mary) may have been born in Palmyra, Wayne County, New York. [43] Their second child, Nathaniel, was born in 1818, in Elba, Genesee County, NY. [44]

The data about Benjamin, Abraham, and Levi point to the West Family’s move to western New York before December 1817. All four sons—Benjamin, Abraham, Levi, and Jacob—were counted in the 1820 Census of Elba, Genesee County, New York. By the 1840s, the brothers were living in Michigan.

 

Conclusion

Between 1810 and 1817, David West and his family were living in Upper Canada. This was part of a Quaker movement to expand into new territories. Quaker settlers were many miles from their original Meeting, which held strict discipline over many aspects of their personal lives, including marriage. A more progressive viewpoint was held in the new settlements. Cooperation with non-Quakers was essential to living in these remote areas. Waiting for a ruling from the Monthly or Yearly Meeting was non-productive. Personal life and social interactions—including mixed marriages of Quakers and non-Quakers (“marriage out of unity”)—increased.

While many historians maintain that the restlessness in the Society began in the 1820s, the David West story shows that it started nearly a decade before that time.

 

Please refer to Part 3: 1818-1826 for more information on David West.

 

References and Additional Notes

West Family DNA group results are at http://web.utk.edu/~corn/westdna/west5.htm.

1. Library and Archives, Canada, 2012: “No. 74, Lease, The Petition of David West for a Lease of Lot No. 33, 3^rd Cn, Ameliasburgh,” Upper Canada Land Petitions “W” Bundle Leases, 1797-1817, RG 1, L3, Vol. 545. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/index-e.html. Accessed Mar 2016. The microfilm images were added to the site in 2012.

2. Wikipedia: Clergy Reserves. Accessed Mar 2016.

3. Daughter Mary West was born in 1807 in New York. Daughter Susan or Susannah West was probably born in 1810 in Canada. This needs to be verified. Son Briggs West was born in 1811 in Canada. The rest of Benjamin and Polly West’s children were born in Ameliasburgh or Norwich, Canada. Data from Lorelle Van Fossen: http://family.cameraontheroad.com/family-names/david-west-descendants/. Accessed May 2016. Also refer to Raisin Center Friends Cemetery on Findagrave.com.

4. Transcribed directly with original spelling, including original spelling of names:

         To whom These presents shall Come We the under Subscribers do Recommend David West of Amelesburge a man worthy of the Notes of any gentleman, before whom these presents shall come and further do Certify that the Provost brought the Labour of one John Hauck done on Lott No 33 in the third Consseson of Ameliasburge Lake Shore For which he paid forty dollars and since he has done a great deal of Labour on said Lott himself and it is our sincear wish that the Provost might order a Lease for Sd Lott as he is a man who would we would wish to Settell in our Neighborhood and do pray that your honors would be pleased to grant our request.

Ameliasburg the 4^th of July 1811

[Signed:] Robert Young, James Peirson, Thomas Young, Aaron Peirson, Stephen Chase, Robert Hauyck, John Huyck Junr, John Thease, Simon [?], Amos Phillips, James Young, T.C. [Town Clerk]

5. Gregory Finnegan, 1995: “People of Providence, Polity and Property: Domesticity, Philanthropy and Land Ownership as Instruments of Quaker Community Development in Adolphustown, Upper Canada, 1784-1824,” Canadian Quaker History Journal, Canadian Friends Historical Association, Toronto. As an example, p. 11.

6. It is possible that David West and son Benjamin owned land in Windham Township, Greene County, NY, prior to moving to Upper Canada. Jacob West (another son) and his wife stayed behind.

7. Arthur Garratt Dorland, 1927: A History of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Canada, The MacMillan Company of Canada Limited, Toronto, p. 87.

8. Finnegan, p. 12.

9. Dorland, p. 23.

10. Robynne Rogers Healey, 2002 (article): “From Quaker to Upper Canadian: The Boundaries of Community Identity among Yonge Street Friends, 1801-1850,” Annual Conference, University of Toronto, 26-27 May 2002, Historical Papers, Canadian Society of Church History, p. 33.

11. Dorland, p. 23.

12. Healey, p. 33.

13. Finnegan, p. 3.

14. Healey, p. 37.

15. Healey, p. 25. Healey’s article is a history of the Yonge Street Friends settlement (Toronto). Similar narratives existed wherever Quakers settled in the early 1800s.

16. Upper Canada: Naturalization Registers, 1828-1850, #G5, B47, Vol. 3. Library and Archives Canada. Benjamin West’s oath of allegiance was sworn in 1831 in Norwich, Oxford County, Upper Canada. Found at www.bac-lac.gc.ca, accessed Mar 2016.

I do swear or being one of the persons allowed by Law to affirm in special cases, do affirm, that I have resided seven years in His Majesty’s Dominions without having been during that time a stated resident in any foreign country, and that I will be faithful and bear true Allegiance to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and of this Province as dependent therein. So help me God.

#45. Benjamin West, Norwich, Farmer, February 28, 1831 [signed Benjamin West]

17. Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Research Database. http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/. Accessed April 2015.

18. State of New York, 1925: Minutes of the Committee and of the First Commission for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York, December 11, 1776 – September 23, 1778 with Collateral Documents. New York Historical Society, New York, NY, p. 338.

19. Elijah West’s dwelling in Windsor, Vermont, is now a designated historic landmark.  http://historicsites.vermont.gov/directory/old_constitution/history

20. For more information, please refer to Part 1 in this series on David West.

21. Lisa Hansen, 2004: “Friends and Peace: Quaker Pacifist Influence in Ontario to the Early Twentieth Century,” The Quaker Archives and Library of Canada, Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Accessed Apr 2015.

22. Robynne Rogers Healey, 2006 (book): From Quaker to Upper Canadian: Faith and Community among Yonge Street Friends, 1801-1850, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal and Kingston, p. 103. Healey quotes The Discipline of the New York Meeting, 1810:

[It is a disownable offense] to bear arms, or actively comply with military requisitions, be concerned in wartime preparations, offensive or defensive, by sea or land, pay a fine, penalty, or tax, in lieu of personal service, deal in prize goods, directly or indirectly, or be concerned in promoting the publication of writings which tend to excite the spirit of war.

23. Hugh Barbour, Christopher Densmore, Elizabeth H. Moger, Nancy C. Sorel, Alson D. Van Wagner, and Arthur J. Worrall, 1995: Quaker Crosscurrents, Three Hundred Years of Friends in the New York Yearly Meetings, New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, New York. Pages 57-61 provide some examples of Quaker persecution during the Revolutionary War.

24. Clarence M Warner, 1914: “The Bay of Quinte Settlements during the War of 1812,” Proceedings of the New York State Historical Association, Vol. 13, pp. 189-198.

25. Dorland, “Chapter 3: The American Background of the Quaker Migration to Canada,” p. 42-62.

26. Karen E. Livsey, 1991: Western New York Land Transactions, 1804-1824, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, p. 194.  Accessed on ancestry.com, Mar 2016.

27. Dorland, p. 86.

28. Finnegan, p. 2.

29. Adolphustown Monthly Meeting Minutes, 1798-1813, Archives O-2-1, Trustees of the Canadian Yearly Meeting at the Religious Society of Friends, transcriptions by Carm Foster (p. 267, 269), Lynda Worther (p. 271, 273), coordinated by Randy Saylor, Toronto, Ontario.

30. Norwich Monthly Meeting, Men’s, 1822-1834, May 1826. West Lake Monthly Meeting, Book C, 1824-1837. Images at ancestry.com in Canada, Quaker Meeting Records, 1786-1988. Accessed March 2016. Correspondence between the two Monthly Meetings occurred between January and May of 1826 before the matter was settled. West Lake took over the minute book of Adolphustown when it was laid down (discontinued) in 1821. I transcribed this from the handwritten record:

Benjamin West requested our certificate to your meeting. This may certify that he has a right of membership with us, and by inquiry his temporal affairs appeared settled to satisfaction. Signed in and on behalf of Adolphus Monthly Meeting, held on 20 of 11 month 1817, by Gilbert Dorland, Clerk.

31. J. William Frost, 1973: The Quaker Family in Colonial America: A Portrait of the Society of Friends, St. Martin’s Press, NY, p. 136. Age 21 was the age of legal accountability, and men were encouraged to marry after this age.

32. Warner, p. 195.

33. William Richard Lunn and Janet Lunn, 1967: The County: The First Hundred Years in Loyalist Prince Edward, Prince Edward County Council, Picton, Ontario, p. 134.

34. Randy Saylor, transcriber, 2011: “Prince Edward Militia, Muster Rolls and Pay Lists of Various Officers, 1812-1814.” Accessed April 2015. Original source: War of 1812, Returns, Nominal Rolls and Pay Lists, R 1022-1-6-E, film at Toronto Public Library, p. 297-298.

35. Robert Malcomson, 2003: “Batteau in the British Service during the War of 1812,” The Northern Mariner/Le Marin du Nord, Volume XIII, No. 4, p. 17-28. Men who had this job were called batteaumen. Malcomsen writes: “Life in the batteaux was demanding. The hours long, the labour hard and tedious, potentially dangerous, and completely exposed to the elements.”

36. Prince Edward Militia, p. 321-322.

37. Neighbors who were in his company were: James Peirson, Aaron Peirson, Thomas Young, and James Young. Henry Hyuck was also in this company—he was probably related to John Huyck, another neighbor.

38. Albert C. Bowerman, 1904: The “Bowerman” Family of Canada, Descendants of Ichabod Bowerman of Dutchess Co., NY, 1683-1796, unpublished, typed manuscript. Part of the collection of E.H. Marion Crock of Bloomfield, Ontario. Archived at Pickering College, Newmark, Ontario. Folder 5-4-6. Information used with permission of Canadian Quaker Archives and Randy Saylor, project coordinator. Image 71, transcribed by Judy Andrus Toporcer.  

39. William Wade Hinshaw, Thomas Worth Marshall, and Dr. Barlow Lindley, compilers, 1946: “Adrian Monthly Meeting,” Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, 1607-1943, Volume IV, p. 1384. Reprint: Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland, 1994. The originals are archived at Swarthmore College, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, probably found in Adrian Preparative Meeting, 1836-1874.

40. Hinshaw, p. 1384. This is also mentioned in the Bowerman manuscript of 1904.

41. Hartland Monthly Meeting of Friends, 1821-1905: Vital Records: Marriages 1821-1850, H393, Volume 3.1. Swarthmore College, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore, PA.

42. Bowerman, Image 99, transcribed by Doug Smith.

43. _______, 1888: Portrait and Biographical Album of Lenawee County, Michigan, Chapman Brothers, Chicago, Illinois, p. 452.

44. “Norwich Monthly Meeting Records, Names Set off from Pelham Monthly Meetings,” Archives of Ontario, Toronto. Canada, Quaker Meeting Records, 1786-1898, images online at ancestry.com. Accessed March 2016.   This is a census of the Norwich Monthly Meeting from 1830. Nathaniel is listed as born in 1819.

 

Many thanks to Lorelle VanFossen for her genealogical work. VanFossen is a descendant of Levi West. To see her compilation of the descendants of David West, go to: http://family.cameraontheroad.com/family-names/david-west-descendants/

David West (1758 – after 1826) Part 1: 1758 – 1810

Compiled by Joy Ikelman, April 2016. All disclaimers apply.

David West (1758 – after 1826) 
[Part 1: 1758 – 1810]

Thomas West (1630/1631 – 1720) m. Phebe Waters

    Benjamin West (1665 – 1733) m. Hannah Shadduck

        Benjamin West, Jr. (1688 – after 1739) m. Mehitable Bailey

            Elijah West (1722 – 1798) m. (1) unknown; m. (2) Hannah Thurber

                David West (1758 – after 1826) m. Susannah Hoag

Summary: David West is the ancestor of one of our West DNA Family Group #5 participants. At least two generations of David West’s family were members of the Religious Society of Friends. West lived in Dutchess County, NY, Prince Edward County, Ontario, and Genesee County, NY. His children eventually settled in Michigan.
 

Note: Quaker customs and record-keeping are unique. Please refer to Understanding Quaker Records on this blog site for more information.

 

Signature from David West’s land lease petition,

Ameliasburg, Prince Edward County, Ontario, 1811.

1758 – 1779: Early Years of David West

David West was born 28 Feb 1758 in Pawling, Dutchess County, NY. [1] His father was Elijah West and his mother is unknown. Elijah West was a tenant farmer [2] and also an innkeeper. [3] David siblings were Benajah, Elisha, Mary, and Abigail. [4]

In 1774, David West’s father, Elijah, moved to Windsor, Windsor County, VT [5].  He married Hannah Thurber [6] and started a new family. He left his five children behind in Dutchess County, NY. David was about 16 years old when his father moved away. It is possible that a neighbor, Nehemiah Merritt, looked over the West children. He is mentioned several times in association with the West family. [7, 8] The Merritts were Quakers, and it possible that David West was led to become a Quaker from this association. Or, he may have joined the Friends after he married.

Circa 1779 – 1782: David West and Susannah Hoag Are Married

Looking for Proof. I thought it was “family tradition” that David West married Susannah (or Susanna) Hoag, who was from a much-respected Quaker family. However, I found only one source for this information.

In about 1949, Julia Hoag Quackenbush donated a typed manuscript about Hoag family history to the New York State Library in Albany. [9] This seems to be the source of the West/Hoag marriage information in various on-line genealogies. In 2001, Frank Doherty cited this source in his narrative on “The Hoag Family” in Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York. [10] The notation from Doherty (Quackenbush) reads: Susanna, b. 3 July 1755; m. David, b. 28 Feb 1758, son of Elijah West of Beekman.

We still need a primary document to show the marriage of West and Hoag. It might be found in an Oblong or Nine Partners Monthly Meeting minute book. [11] For this article, we will assume that Quackenbush’s statement is true. We know from the Quaker records that David married a woman named “Susannah,” because they are found together in two Quaker records. [12]

Estimated Marriage Date. If David was already a member of the Society of Friends, he would have been at least 21 years old when he married Susannah. This was a Quaker custom in the 1700s. [13] Their first child, Benjamin, was born in November of 1782. So, their marriage date would be between 1779 and 1782. Also, if David was not a Quaker at the time of marriage, Susannah would have received mention for “marriage out of unity” or “marriage out of discipline.” It would be recorded in a Meeting minute, and this would give clues to a marriage date.

A Little about the Hoag Family

Hoag Ancestors. There are several versions of Hoag family history in old books and New England genealogies. Here is Susannah’s direct line. Dates are approximate.

    Richard Hoag m. Joan _____

        John Hoag (1643/1644 – 1728) m. Ebezener Emery

            Benjamin Hoag, Sr. (1680 – after 1760) m. (1) Sara Norris; (2) Esther Swett

                Benjamin Hoag, Jr. (1714 – after 1781) [14] m. Lydia Jones

                    Susannah Hoag (1755 – after 1819) m. David West

A common family story is that Richard and Joan Hoag went back to England in the early 1650s, and John stayed behind in Boston as an apprentice. [15] John Hoag eventually moved to Newbury, Essex County, MA. His children became Quakers in the early 1700s. [16] The next two generations lived in Amesbury, Essex County, MA. John Hoag was a local judge during the Salem Delusions (witch trials), but was dismissed because he believed the accusations were false. [17]

The Hoags Move to Dutchess County, NY. The Hoags and other Quakers moved to areas in and around Beekman Patent by the 1740s. [18] They were part of the men and women who established the Oblong Meeting in 1742. [19] Benjamin and Lydia Hoag, Susannah’s parents, came to Dutchess County in about 1755. Benjamin Hoag, Senior and Junior are listed as “Heads of Families” in a 1761 Quaker census (membership list) of Oblong Monthly Meeting. [20]

Susannah’s name and birth date were also listed in this Quaker census. [21] She appears in the list with her brothers and sisters. We do not know if Susannah was born in Amesbury, Essex County, MA, like her older siblings, [22] or in Dutchess County like her younger siblings.

1782 – 1796: Children of David and Susannah West

I believe that the following were David and Susannah’s children:

• Benjamin West (1782 – 1858)
• Daughter West (b. ca 1785)
• Abraham West (1787 – 1864)
• Jacob West (b. ca 1789 – d. after 1845)
• Daughter West (b. ca 1793)
• Levi West (b. 1796 – d. after 1847)

 

Benjamin, Abraham, Jacob, and Levi have good paper trails. They have geographical locations in common. They are listed together in historical records. The two daughters are implied by the Censuses of 1790 and 1800, and are not proven.

 

Benjamin was named after Susannah’s father, Benjamin Hoag. This was a Quaker custom. [23] David and Susannah selected Biblical names for their other male children—Abraham, Jacob, and Levi. I spent some time looking for an “Isaac”—as in the Biblical lineage of “Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Levi.” [24] There were Isaac Wests in the area, but none were related. Some historians include “Morgan West” as one of the children. He was associated with FG#5 descendants in his later years. [25] As of 2016, there is not enough documentation to prove with certainty that he is related to these West brothers.

 

1790: U.S. Census of 1790, Dutchess County, NY

In 1790, David West was counted in Washington, Dutchess County, NY. [26] His brother, Elisha, was counted there too. The two names appear on the same Census page.

 

In 1790, the David West family had one male 16 years and older (David, age 32). There are also five males less than 16 years old. These would be Benjamin, age 8; Abraham, age 3; possibly Jacob, age 1, plus two more boys. There are two females—Susannah, age 35, and probably a daughter, about 6 years old. Perhaps two sons did not survive into the 1800 Census, and this accounts for the two “extra” boys.

 

There are two more possibilities, based on the Quaker customs of (1) apprenticeships and (2) caring for all children from Meetings. Apprenticeships were almost mandatory during the ages of 14 to 21. Members of a Meeting would decide what a child (male or female) would learn, and pick the family that would provide this education. The children were counted with the family of their “Master.” [27] Friends also placed Quaker children from their Meetings who were orphans or from very poor families. This was called “putting out to Friends.” [28] So, in the 1790 Census, it is possible that David was teaching apprentices, or has taken in children who were in need.

 

1800: U.S. Census of 1800, Dutchess County, NY

In the 1800 Census, David is still in Washington, Dutchess County, NY. [29] David’s brother Elisha is counted in Stanford, Dutchess County. [30] It is unlikely that either brother moved. In 1793, the Township of Washington had been subdivided into Stanford to the north, and Washington to the south. [31] Elisha was on the tax rolls of Stanford, NY. [32] David was not on the tax rolls. Once again, the numbers of David and Susannah’s children—and their ages—do not add up.

 

David West’s record shows one male 45 and over—David was actually 42 years old. The record shows one female 26 to 44—Susannah was 44 or 45. There is one female under 10 years old, and one 16 to 25. The record shows two males under ten, and one male 16 to 25 years old. Their son, Benjamin, would have been 18 years old. The two males “under 10” were probably Jacob (age 11) and Levi (age 4). Who was left out? It was Abraham, who was 13 or 14. Abraham was at the right age to be an apprentice for some other Quaker family, and would be counted with them.

 

1810: U.S. Census of 1810, Greene County, NY

I could not find a record for David West in the 1810 Census. However, his son Jacob West and a female in Jacob’s age group (most likely his wife, Lana) were counted in the Census in Windham, Greene County, NY. [33, 34] He was on the same page as Asael (Asahel/Asahael) Disbrow. He was the father of Polly Disbrow [35]. Polly married David’s son, Benjamin, in 1806. [36]

 

Benjamin and Polly West were not listed in this Census. In fact, the entire West family, with the exception of Jacob and his wife, were in Upper Canada (Ontario) by 1810.

 

The Quaker migration to Canada in the early 1800s was a significant time for the Religious Society of Friends. The Friends began to interact with non-Quaker settlers in daily life. This was actually a new idea, and contrary to Quaker discipline that still required that Friends were to be “set apart.” David and Susannah West—and their sons—were part of the modernization that was occurring.  

 

Please see Part 2: 1810 – 1826 to learn more about David West.  [coming soon] 

 

References and Additional Notes

West Family DNA group results are at http://web.utk.edu/~corn/westdna/west5.htm.

1. Hartland Monthly Meeting of Friends, “Members of Hartland Monthly Meeting, Niagara County, New York, Residing at Elba, Genesee County, New York,” Membership 1821-1862, H303. Vol. 3.3, p. 8. Archived at Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA.

2. Frank J. Doherty, 1990: “Historical Records,” Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York: An Historical and Genealogical Study of All of the 18^th Century Settlers in the Patent, Volume 1, Frank J. Doherty, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Pleasant Valley, NY, p. 352.

3. Frank J. Doherty, 1993: “Abbot to Burtch,” Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York, Volume 2, p. 572.

4. William Slade, compiler, 1823: Vermont State Papers: Being a Collection of Records and Documents, Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, J.W. Copeland, Middlebury, VT, p. 504. The names of the children are listed in a land deed dispute.

5. Sherman Evarts, 1914: “The Vermont Constitution and the Constitution House,” The Vermonter, Volume 19, Number 4, April, p. 61.

6. Katherine E. Conlin, Wilma Burnham Paronto, and Stella Vitty Henry, 1977: Chronicles of Windsor, 1761-1975, The Countryman Press, Taftsville, VT.

7. Frank J. Doherty, 2003: “Hunter to Leavens,” Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York, Volume 7, p. 863. Nehemiah Merritt’s land bordered Elijah West’s land. After Elijah moved to Vermont, Merritt took over the rent payments.

8. State of New York, 1925: Minutes of the Committee and of the First Commission for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York, December 11, 1776 – September 23, 1778 with Collateral Documents, New York Historical Society, New York, NY, p. 529. In 1777, Elisha West (brother to David) mentions Nehemiah Merritt in his testimony about a murder case. Elisha was about 17 years old and David was 19.

9. Julia Hoag Quackenbush, 1938-1949: Hoag Ancestry: from John 1^st Who Came to this Country, and Includes the Descendants of the Three Sons who Remained Here. Typed manuscript. Archived at the New York State Library in Albany.

10. Frank J. Doherty, 2001: “Hadden to Hunt,” Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York, Volume 6, p. 527.

11. Susannah Hoag’s family attended the Oblong Monthly Meeting and later, Nine Partners Monthly Meeting. Both were in Dutchess County, NY.

12. There are two instances listing David and Susannah together. (1) Farmington Monthly Meeting of Friends (Orthodox), 1803-1897: Men’s and Joint Meetings, 1816-1821, F335, Volume 1.3, pp. 94 and 109. Archived at Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA. This was a membership transfer to Farmington Monthly Meeting. (2) Hartland Monthly Meeting of Friends, 1821-1905: Vital Records: Marriages 1821-1850, H393, Volume 3.1. Archived at Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA. David and Susannah West are listed as the parents of Abraham West who is marrying his second wife, Anna French.

13. J. William Frost, 1973: The Quaker Family in Colonial America: A Portrait of the Society of Friends, St. Martin’s Press, NY, p. 136. Age 21 was the age of legal accountability, and men were encouraged to marry after this age. Frost states (p. 151) that in the latter part of the 18^th Century, the average age for marriage was 22 for women, and 26.5 for men.

14. Benjamin and Lydia Hoag were witnesses to the marriage of Levi Hoag (Susannah’s brother) in 1781, at Elijah Hoag’s Creek Meeting in Dutchess County. Previously, researchers have listed the death date as “after 1760” for both Benjamin Senior and Junior. The 1781 marriage record is located in Nine Partners Monthly Meeting data—Vital Records: Births, Deaths, Marriages, Disownments, Manumissions 1769-1798, N335, Volume 4.1, p. 32. Archived at Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA.

15. J. Hoag, 2003: The History of the Hoag Family in America. Word document on-line at http://hdhdata.org/whoag/NEW.HOAG-1.doc. Partial revision, 2008. Accessed Feb 2016. This seems to be a working document for genealogies on the Hoag and Emery families, written by a family historian. It is very well researched and documented. Records show that the Hoags were in Boston before 1636.

16. Joseph Hoag, 1846: A Journal of the Life and Gospel Labors of that Devoted Servant and Minister of Christ, Joseph Hoag, printed in 1860 by David Heston, Sherwoods, NY, p. 2-4.

17. Ibid, p. 2.

18. William P. McDermott, 1986: “Colonial Land Grants in Dutchess County, N.Y., A Case Study in Settlement,” The Hudson Valley Regional Review, September, Volume 3, Number 2, p. 15.

19. Frank Hasbrouck, 1909, editor: The History of Dutchess County, New York, S.A. Matthieu, Poughkeepsie, NY, p. 53.

20. Warren H. Wilson, 1907: “Appendix A: List of Heads of Families on the Verge of our Monthly Meeting Held on the Oblong and the Nine Partners Circularly,” Quaker Hill—A Sociological Study, Columbia University, New York, NY. The list was compiled on “4m 16d 1761.”

21. Oblong Monthly Meeting, 1744-1903: Vital Records 1745-1783, Volume 3.1, O373, p. 198. Archived at Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA.

22. The Topsfield Historical Society, 1913: Vital Records of Amesbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Topsfield, MA, p. 126.

23. David Hacker Fischer, 1989: Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America, Oxford University Press, NY, p. 505. In Quaker families during this time, the first son was named after the mother’s father.

24. Book of Genesis, Chapters 25-29. In The Bible, Abraham’s son was Isaac. Isaac’s son was Jacob. Jacob’s son was Levi.  

25. In the 1850 Census, Morgan West was counted with the family of Ira and Elizabeth (West) Smith in Franklin, Fulton County, OH. He was 59. Elizabeth was Abraham’s daughter. The record that follows next is Charles and Lydia (West) Munson. Lydia was Levi’s daughter. By the 1860 Census, Morgan West moved with Elizabeth Smith and her three children to Raisin, Lenawee County, MI. In 1870 at age 79, Morgan West was living with the family of Daniel and Charlotte Smith in Plainfield, Kent County, MI.

26. Census of 1790, Washington, Dutchess County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

27. Frost, p. 140. Children attended school from age 7 to 14. At that time an apprenticeship was carefully chosen by parents and by the local Meeting. “The apprentice could be treated as if he were his (the father’s) child, because he was generally an acquaintance’s son or daughter.”

28. Frost, p. 45.

29. Census of 1800, Washington, Dutchess County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

30. Census of 1800, Stanford, Dutchess County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

31. Hasbrouck, p. 654.

32. New York Comptroller’s Office, 1799-1804: Tax Assessment Rolls of Real and Personal Estates, New York State Archives, Albany, NY.

33. Census of 1810, Windham, Greene County, New York. Records of the Bureau of the Census, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

34. William Wade Hinshaw, Thomas Worth Marshall, and Dr. Barlow Lindley, compilers, 1946: “Adrian Monthly Meeting,” Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, 1607-1943, Volume IV, p. 1372. Lana is mentioned in the marriage record of Maria West to Henry Leeds in 1842. Maria is the “dt Jacob & Lana, Adrian, Lenawee Co., Mich.”

35. Lorraine Cook White, editor, 1994-2002: The Lucius Barnes Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records, Vol. 1-155, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, Maryland. “Fairfield (Connecticut) Vital Records, 1639-1850,” p. 46.

36. _______, 1888: Portrait and Biographical Album of Lenawee County, Michigan, Chapman Brothers, Chicago, Illinois, p. 452.

 

Many thanks to Lorelle VanFossen for her excellent genealogical work. VanFossen is a descendant of Levi West. To see her compilation of the descendants of David West, go to: http://family.cameraontheroad.com/family-names/david-west-descendants/